Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala University has suspended three research students who were arrested earlier in connection with a recent strike against the decision not to allow retired teachers to act as research guides. Research scholars on the Kerala University campus, Kariavattom, were agitating for past many days against the decision alleging that there were not sufficient research guides in the university.
The suspended are research union chairman and Senate member Manesh, former Union chairman and SFI unit secretary V. V. Ajesh, SFI unit member and department union general secretary S. Najeeb. The suspension order was issued by vice-chancellor P.K. Radhakrishnan the other day. About two weeks ago, police had arrested the protesting students and removed them from the strike venue on the campus.
Following this, the VC issued a show-cause notice to the three. They also burned the VC in effigy. Three security guards were also suspended for not preventing the incident. However, they were reinstated soon, following widespread criticism. The suspension order said the reply to the notice was not satisfactory. The university had appointed a committee to look into the incident, it said, and that the three will be under suspension till the inquiry was over.
